Transfer truck



that the lower ends of the ladder uprights clear a floor supporting the cart. "The springs yield'under the weight of an occupant to accommodate movement `of the ladder downwardly against the floor. l p YThe base of each ladder upright is equipped with a rubber grip, such as grip 38. 'The grips increase the frictional contact between the ladder uprights and the floor when the ladder is in a lowered position.

Intermediate the ends of lower step 33 and slidably mounted in the step is a foot actuated lever or latch member 41. 'The latch member is mounted for movement up and down in a suitable aperture formed in the step. Thelatch member is loosely tted in the step, so that the latch member can swing slightly from a vertical position.

' A transverse angle iron strip 42 is secured to the lower side of step member 33. The downwardly extending ange of this angle iron strip is Vsuitably secured to one of the anges of an angle iron segment 43. The other ange of strip segment 43 extends horizontally beneath step 33. Latch member 41 extends downwardly through step 33 and thence through a slot 44 provided in the hori- `zontal flange of segment 43.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, in the embodiment illustrated, latch member 41 is comprised of an `elongated stud portion 46 secured at its upper .end to head portion 47. The head portion includes a pedal surface 48.

slid on and otf the shelves without having to lift the same. In a lowered position, the'ladder acts as a brake preventing the truck from rolling on wheels 21, 22. This facilitates sliding articles onto and otf the shelves of the truck. Further, it enables, if desired, an operator to use the top shelf of the cart as an additional step, without danger of the cart shifting beneath the operator.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A cart comprising a body portion, a ladder portion mounted on said body portion at one end thereof for movement up and down relative to said body portion, and means for detachably holding said ladder portion anchored in a lowered position, said means including a latch member carried by one of said portions connectable with the other of said portions, and bias means carried by one of said portions energized upon connection of said latch member and operable when energized `to urge said ladder portion downwardly relative to said body portion.

2. In combination, a cart body portion, a ladder por tion slidably mounted at one end thereof for movement up and down relative thereto, wheel supportl for said body portion, and means for detachably holding said ladder v portion anchored in a lowered position, said means in- Stud 46 has a notch 49 formed therein on the inner side of the stud portion.

A catch 51 is fastened as by nut and bolt assemblies 52 to the body of the truck. The catch is held intermediate the ends of the lower shelf adjacent ladder 11 and in the path of the latch member when the latch member is moved downwardly. Notch 49 fits over the lip of the catch to engage the catch as shown in Fig. 4.

Encircling stud portion 46 of latch member 41 is a bias means or spring S6 and a washer 45. Spring 56 is a compression spring andexerts, when compressed, a force which exceeds the force created by compressing together springs 37. When latch member 41 is disconnected, washer 45 abuts the horizontal flange of strip 42, and spring 56 extends between the washer and the horizontal flange of segment 43 as in Fig. 3.v The spring is energized by movement of the latch member `downwardly from the position of Fig. 3 to the position V0f Fig. 4 which compresses the spring. When compressed, washer 4S seats on the shoulder dened by head portion 47 where it joins stud portion 46.

The latch member and catch constitute mechanism or means for holding the ladder in a lowered position. Spring or bias means 56 operatively interposed between step 33 and the latch member is energized when the latch member and catch are connected.

Latch member 41 is urged downwardly into latching engagement with thevcatch byv pressing downwardly on pedal surface 48. This moves the lower end of the latch member over the catch, the lower end riding over the lip of the catch. The parts lock when notch 49 engages the latch, as in Fig. 4. Release of the latch member` is accomplished by pushing downwardly and slightly inwardly on pedal4 surface 48, which moves notch 49 outwardly and away from the lip of the catch.

It will be notedthat this construction has a number of advantages. The ladder, when not in use, is urged upwardly away from the tloor by springs 37, which eliminates the need for an operator to lift the ladder manually into a riding position. In a lowered position, the ladder is not immovably iixed in position, but instead is urged downwardly relative to the body of the truck with a predetermined amount of force. Should the outer ends of the cart move upwardly by reason of bending of the cart downwardly intermediate wheels 21, 22 under a heavy load, the ladder still is maintained in engagement with the oor.

, The shelves are planar or at so that a load may be cluding a latch member mounted on one of said portions, a catch mounted on the other of said portions for detachably engaging said latch member, and bias means interposed between said latch member and said one of said portions energized when said catch engages said latch member and operable when energized to urge said ladder portion downwardly relative to said body portion.

3. A cart comprising a body portion, a ladder portion slidably mounted at one end thereof for movement up and down relative thereto, bias means interposed besaid latch member, and bias means interposed between said latch member and said one of said portions energized when said catch engages said latch member and operable when energized to urge said ladder portion downwardly relative to said body portion.

4. In a hand truck, the combination of awheel supported body, a ladder slidably mounted for reciprocation relative thereto at one end thereof, bias means interposed between said body and ladder urging said ladder upwardly relative to said body, a catch carried by said body adjacent said ladder, foot operated latch member mounted on said ladder having an end portion detachably engageable with said catch, and bias means interposed between said latch member and ladder energized when said latch member engages said catch and operable when energized to urge said ladder downwardly relative to said body.

5. A cart comprising a wheel supported body, a ladder comprised of a pair of uprights and horizontal steps extending between said uprights slidably mounted at one end of said body for movement up and down relative thereto, a compression spring interposed between said body and at least one of said uprights urging said ladder upwardly relative to said body, a catch carried by said body adjacent said ladder, a foot operated latch member mounted in one of said steps having an end portion detachably engageable with said catch, and a compression spring interposed between said latch member and said one step energized when said latch member engages said catch and operable when energized to urge said ladder downwardly relative to said body.

6. In a hand truck, the combination of a truck body portion, wheel support for said body portion, said body portion including at least one substantially horizontal planar shelf, a ladder portion carried by said body portion at one end thereof for movement up and down relative thereto, and detachable latch means interposed between said ladder and body portions operable to anchor said ladder portion against a oor supporting the truck ithereby to brake the truck, said last mentioned means including a latch member carried by one of `said portions connectable with the other of said portions, and bias means carried by one of said portions energized upon connection of said latch member and operable when energized to urge said ladder portion downwardly relative to said body portion.

7. In a hand truck, the combination of a truck portion, wheel support for said body portion, said body portion including at least one substantially horizontal planar shelf, a ladder portion carried by said body portion at one end thereof for movement up and down relative thereto, and detachable latch means interposed between said ladder and body portions operable to anchor said ladder portion against a floor supporting the truck thereby to brake the truck, said last mentioned means having a foot operated latch member mounted on said ladder portion, a catch carried by said body portion adjacent said latch member and engagable with said latch member, and bias means interposed between said latch member `and ladder portion energized upon engagement of said latch member with said catch and operable when energized to urge said ladder portion downwardly relative to said body portion.

8. In a hand truck, the combination of a truck body portion, wheel support for said body portion, said body portion including `at leas-t one substantially horizontal planar shelf, a ladder portion carried by said body portion at one end thereof for movement up and down relative thereto, bias means interposed between said body and ladder portions urging said ladder portion upwardly relative to said body portion, and detachable latch means interposed between said ladder and body portions operable to anchor said ladder portion against a floor supporting the truck thereby to brake the truck, said latch means including a spring energized when said ladder and body Iportions are connected by said latch means and operable when energized -to urge said ladder portion downwardly against the bias of said bias means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 684,586 Neher et al. Oct. 15, 1901 1,701,951 Holt Feb. 12, 1929 2,398,812 Steil Apr. 23, 1946 2,630,961 Burg Mar. 10, 1953 2,798,652 Easton July 9, 1957 

